On February 2nd the world celebrates its wetlands – complex ecosystems that provide a wide variety of services and benefits for people and nature. Wetlands such as estuaries, mangroves, marshes, and swamps play, beyond their biological...

IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, recommends World Heritage status for five sites nominated for their outstanding natural values. The advisory body on natural World Heritage, IUCN also recommends action against major threats in listed...

A new IUCN-backed report released yesterday identifies three new investment structures that could help catalyse finance to meet the world’s pressing environmental challenges and sustainable growth goals.

Exploring how a Net Positive Impact (NPI) approach on biodiversity can enable the private sector to better manage biodiversity and contribute to global conservation is the focus of two new papers released today under the auspices of the NPI Alliance.

Edinburgh, UK, 23 November 2015 -- IUCN Director General Inger Andersen highlighted the vital role of natural capital in addressing climate change in a keynote speech at the World Forum on Natural Capital, which opened today in Edinburgh, UK.

Geneva, Switzerland, 16 November 2015 – While global demand for the world’s most popular metal – aluminium – continues to rise, it is critical that the aluminium industry address its environmental and social impacts, particularly in indigenous peoples’...

The United Nations' new development agenda presents a historic opportunity for the private sector to actively participate in addressing the world’s global challenges, and building a more inclusive and sustainable society.

Protecting forests and restoring wetlands are some of the actions companies and governments are taking to make up for biodiversity lost as a result of their development activities. These measurable conservation actions - designed to compensate for...

Every year on May 22, people around the world celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, a day aimed at increasing understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. From habitat loss and overexploitation to illegal wildlife trade and climate...

Organizers of the second World Forum on Natural Capital, including IUCN, have issued a call for case studies that demonstrate how putting natural capital at the heart of decision-making can benefit companies’ bottom line, as well as the environment.

IUCN statement delivered by Dr Jane Smart, Global Director of IUCN’s Biodiversity Conservation Group, to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) conference currently taking place in the Republic of Korea.

Twenty targets designed to tackle the extinction crisis and restore the earth’s natural capital by 2020 were agreed on by most of the world’s governments at a meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Japan in 2010. Latest data, however,...

On May 29-30th, 2014, world decision-makers, scientists, practitioners and advocates will meet in Washington, DC, to discuss the potential of large-scale ecosystem restoration to further global development goals and sustainable livelihoods. The deadline for...

Despite the high profile media attention sharks receive, relatively little is known about their biology. Of those shark species that have been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, nearly half are listed as Data Deficient, which means that we...

The Okapi – a national symbol of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as the “forest giraffe” – and the sub-Saharan White-winged Flufftail – one of Africa’s rarest birds – are now on the brink of extinction, according to the latest update of The...

Registration is now open for the IUCN World Parks Congress (WPC), the landmark global forum on protected areas held every 10 years. The event takes place in Sydney, Australia 12-19 November 2014, with the theme 'Parks, people, planet: inspiring...

This week, a number of conservationists are meeting with representatives from Mexico, India and Brazil to discuss the identification and governance of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) - places recognised for their important fauna and flora. The process for...

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species. The IUCN Red List has grown in size and complexity and now plays an...

This paper examines how interventions intended to improve functionality and productivity of forested landscapes to improve livelihoods of the poorest populations, might actually yield co-benefits in terms of biodiversity conservation. It argues in favour of a...